Kouryuu Emigakure
by Ghost
Summary: Ranma won’t take Akane seriously while sparring. Kasumi is worried and decides to give Ranma some perspective by letting him in on a certain little secret of hers.


Disclaimer: Kasumi, Ranma, Akane and all other Ranma½ characters are the property of Takahashi Rumiko. I'm only borrowing them.

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Kouryuu Emigakure

(Rain Dragon Hidden by the Smile)

A Ghost Story(tm)

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"Some warriors look fierce, but are mild. Some look timid, but are vicious. Look beyond appearances; position yourself for the advantage."

-Deng Ming-Dao

Growling to herself, Akane and slammed the front door shut. Her face was twisted into a scowl and she held her fists in front of her as if she wanted to put them through the nearest wall. "Arrogant macho jerk!"

Kasumi, who was just about to start preparing lunch, looked at her discontent sister. Akane was still wearing her gi from training and seemed rather flustered. "Is anything wrong, Akane-chan?"

Akane looked up, having not realised that Kasumi had heard her. Her anger turned to sadness as she looked away. "Oh, Kasumi. It's nothing."

Kasumi knew better, though. "Ranma?"

Akane sighed in defeat. "He's just... He's so... He won't take me seriously! He's just jumping around and dodging all the time, making a fool out of me!"

Kasumi put a comforting hand on Akane's shoulder. "Don't say that. I'm sure he doesn't mean it that way."

"But he does!" Akane's anger had returned with the thoughts of her fiancé. She looked like she wanted to bludgeon him with the nearest heavy object. "I try as hard as I can, but he just makes fun of me! It's like nothing I do is enough!" All of a sudden she sighed deeply, looking very sad and tired. "Neechan, I'm going to take a bath and then I'm going to my room. Call me when lunch is ready, okay?"

"Of course," Kasumi said and watched Akane head towards the furo. Left alone, she frowned slightly. "Oh my, maybe I should have a word with Ranma?" 

Now, Kasumi wouldn't usually interfere with Ranma and Akane's relationship, since she was certain that they would figure it all out on their own in due time. Unlike Soun and Genma, she had always felt that it would be best to let such things mature at their natural pace. However, she loved her sister dearly and didn't like to see her hurt by someone who, when push came to shove, she really cared about allot. The fact that Ranma didn't really mean to upset her didn't make things easier. Kasumi had already come to think of the strange young martial artist as a brother, but she had to admit that he was unusually stubborn. This was perhaps to his advantage during battles, but it also made it almost impossible to talk some sense into him. 

She shook her head. No, it would take something drastic to change his opinion and Kasumi could only think of one thing to do. She didn't really like the idea, but she did want Akane and Ranma to get along better and that was far more important to her.

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Besides, Ranma would probably figure it out sooner or later anyway, she thought as she walked up the stairs and entered her room. _And I know I can trust him._

She opened her closet. Neatly folded underneath her regular clothes, she found what she was looking for.

~*~

Ranma was still in the dojo, resolutely going through his exercises. "Stupid tomboy," he muttered under his breath. It wasn't like he wanted to see her upset or anything, but sometimes it seemed as if anything he did was enough to drive her up the walls. Sometimes he suspected she did it on purpose!

Today's spar had went the same way they always went. She had started throwing her incredibly slow punches and kicks at him and he had danced around her like always. This time she had ended up even angrier then usual and stormed out of the dojo before Ranma could figure out what he had done wrong. He certainly couldn't have injured her; he never once laid as much as a finger on her!

The sound of the dojo-door sliding open woke him up from his contemplations and he turned to see who had opened it. 

Kasumi stepped into the dojo. To Ranma's surprise, she was dressed in a gi, similar to the one Akane usually wore while training. A black T-shirt glimpsed underneath the jacket and she had a black belt neatly tied around her waist. She smiled at him. "Hello, Ranma."

"Hey. What's up, Kasumi?" Ranma asked. "And why are you dressed up like that?"

Instead of answering Kasumi just slid the door closed, still smiling. "Ranma, would you like to spar with me?"

This request surprised Ranma even more then the gi had. "Spar? Um, you know martial arts, Kasumi?"

Kasumi's smile brightened. "Well, it _is_ afamily tradition. Akane is the most talented, but all three of us received training when we were younger." She cocked her head. "So, what do you say?"

Ranma scratched his head, not really knowing what to make of the situation. "Well, sure, I guess. But... why do you wanna to spar with me now?"

"Oh, I have my reasons," Kasumi shrugged mysteriously. She fell into a loose stance and raised her hands. "I might be a bit rusty, though."

"Um, that's okay, I'll go easy on you," Ranma said and adopted a defensive stance. 'Go easy' was an understatement; he knew he had to hold back as much as he could. Though Akane might be slow, she had to be lightning compared Kasumi. And actually _hitting _Kasumi... Well, that was an impossibility.

"Okay," Kasumi said. "Heads up, here I go!"

And then she vanished.

Something hit him in the chest, causing him to stagger back. He caught a glimpse of a vaguely Kasumi-shaped blur and the next thing he knew a foot came out from nowhere, aiming a sweeping kick towards his legs. Only his quick reflexes allowed him to step out of its reach, but before he had time to think she started to hail lightning-fast punches at him. He tried to block them, but he was still moving much slower then usual and many of them went straight through his defences. Her fists seemed to be everywhere, hitting his face, chest, shoulders...

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What the hell is going on! Ranma struggled to think, but he was still in a state of shock. Kasumi having anything to do with violence was strange enough, her being actually _good _at it was enough to throw Ranma completely off balance. _Kasumi can't be this good, it's just not possible! _

In desperation Ranma struck his hand out in an attempt to push her away from him. Kasumi nimbly dodged under his arm and he felt the side of her hand hit his lumbar region with a hard knife-strike. He tried to turn around to counter but it was too late and he caught a kick in his stomach.

Ranma finally realised that he had to use his full speed to stand a chance, but Kasumi wouldn't give him the time to regain his mental balance. It was like trying to fight an autumn leaf dancing in the wind. She was whirling around him, dashing from side to side and hitting him before he could defend. Her blows weren't anywhere near strong enough to hurt him, but she was completely relentless.

Ranma desperately needed to get away from her and tried to jump. Kasumi was quicker then he had ever anticipated, though, and grabbed his ankle with both hands. Using his own momentum she slammed him into the floor and then somehow threw him up into the air again. Just as he began to descend Kasumi reinforced her attack, keeping him from reaching the floor by continuously hitting and kicking him. Ranma was thrown up and down like a ragdoll under her ferocious pummelling. Finally, Kasumi gave him a pair of playful taps in he sides with her fingers before letting him to fall. 

Ranma landed on unsteady feet and wobbled slightly before regaining his balance. He was just about to retaliate when his legs suddenly went numb. He slumped into a sitting position on the dojo floor. His initial confusion was turned to disbelief when he recalled the light taps she had landed on him. _Pressure points? No way!_

Kasumi wasn't even breathing hard. She looked down at him and smiled. It wasn't a mean smile or even a sad one. It was warm and comforting, a typical Kasumi-smile. "I'm sorry I had to do that, Ranma-kun. How are you feeling?"

Ranma shook his head. How did he feel? His body ached a bit from where she had hit him, but he wasn't actually hurt. For all her amazing speed, Kasumi wasn't nearly as strong as Akane. His ego, however, was totally devastated. He had had been beaten by _Kasumi! _And not just beaten; he'd been utterly humiliated, curbstomped and steamrollered! He stared blankly into the air in front of him. "I... I can't believe it. I lost!"

"Now, now, don't get upset," Kasumi said. "I took you by surprise and you held back the whole way, otherwise I probably wouldn't have won."

He looked at her in disbelief. _"_But... _How?"_

She chuckled. "What? Did you think cooking and cleaning the house is the only thing I do all day? You can't spend every day of the week cleaning the exact same house, even in this family. I train in the dojo while you, Akane and Nabiki are at school. It's sort of my way of dealing with stress. And believe me, this place can be _very_ stressful."

Ranma was shocked. "No way! Does our dads know about this?"

"Of course," Kasumi smiled. "I trained with father for the longest time, and Uncle Saotome taught me allot of things I didn't know before. I also learned allot from watching you and all the people you fought since you came here, not to mention fending off Happosai..."

"Dad and Mr Tendo _knew?_ They never told me about this!"

Kasumi nodded. "That's my fault, actually. I asked them not to let anyone know. I have some... holds on both of them, so they had to comply. You see, I have no interest in letting my strength be known. It seems that, in this town, the stronger in art you are the more odd challengers you attract." She winked at him. "And I'm content with living a dull and peaceful life."

Ranma didn't believe his ears. All this talent, all this strength, and she didn't want to show it off? Ranma couldn't even imagine how anyone could be so... _humble!_

Still smiling, Kasumi sat down in front of him. "Ranma, do you know why I did this?"

Ranma numbly shook his head.

"I talked to Akane earlier," Kasumi explained in a more serious tone. "She was very upset with you, because you wouldn't try to hit her while sparring."

"Huh? That's what this is all about?" Ranma frowned and looked away. "I... I just don't want to, its no big deal."

"I'm afraid it is, Ranma-kun," Kasumi sighed. "Look, I think I understand what you are going through. You don't want to have to hurt her, not even while training. Is that it?"

Ranma blushed and slowly nodded, still not looking at her. 

"Well, in that case you need to rethink your strategy, because you are hurting her right now."

Ranma snapped his head back to stare at her. "What?"

"Ranma, Akane is not like me," Kasumi said. "She's not satisfied keeping her abilities hidden. To her, martial arts is a way of proving herself and she takes great pride in her strength. But because you won't acknowledge her, she becomes upset and angry. Both at you and at herself."

Ranma shrugged, pretending not to care. "Hey, _she's_ the one who always wants us to spar with _me!_ If she can't take it, she should find someone else to train with."

"Someone else?" Kasumi repeated, chuckling slightly and shaking her head. "You still don't understand, do you?"

Ranma gave her an odd look. "Understand what?" 

Kasumi leaned in closer, as if it was a secret that only the two of them should know. "She doesn't want to train with anyone but you. She respects you, Ranma, and even though she would never ever admit it, even to herself, you are her idol."

Ranma blinked. A deep blush appeared on his cheeks. "Wha-what? M-me, her idol? Seriously?"

Kasumi nodded. "Ranma, you are the strongest person she has ever known. She admires you and she wants to become just as strong as you one day. When you refuse to fight her, she feels as if she needs to prove herself to you. She thinks you see her as... unworthy."

"Hey, that's not true!" Ranma jerked as if the mere notion was painful to him. "That's not what I... I mean, I don't..."

Kasumi nodded. "I know that, but _she _doesn't. You mean well, but in the end it only ends up weakening her. You've seen her worst sides, you know that she will try to take shortcuts to get stronger, like the Battle Dogi? Haven't you ever wondered why she would do that? Why she would put her pride as a warrior aside for artificial strength? She's afraid that she isn't _good enough_ for you, Ranma."

Ranma looked totally stunned. "Man, I never thought of it like that before," he said quietly.

Kasumi stood up. "Well, I need to get lunch ready before father gets worried. Your legs should be fine in a minute or so. Take that time and think things over, okay?"

She went over to the door and slid it open. Just as she was about to leave, she turned around and looked at him. "I am not as fragile as I look, Ranma, and neither is Akane. She won't break from simple sparring. Please, let her feel proud of herself again."

Ranma said nothing as she closed the door behind her, leaving him alone on the dojo floor.

~*~

Ranma was strangely quiet during lunch. Sitting beside him, Akane wondered if he was worried about something. Not that she really cared; she was still angry at him for earlier. Besides, he still ate like a starved horse, so it couldn't have been _that _serious.

After the meal was finished Nabiki retreated to her room and Genma and Soun brought out the shougi-board. Ranma, on the other hand, was still sitting in his place, looking at his empty plate with the same worried -Or was it determined?- look on his face.

Akane sighed inwardly. Maybe it was time to make up now? She leaned over and looked at him. "Hey, Ranma, are you..."

Without warning, Ranma struck his hand out, hitting her shoulder. It wasn't a hard blow, hardly more then a playful whack, but it still took Akane completely by surprise. "Hey! What was that for?"

Suddenly, Ranma turned his head and grinned at her. "What? You didn't do anything to stop me, so I thought it was okay."

"Huh? No fair, I wasn't ready!"

Ranma shrugged. "Ready or not, even you should have been able to block such a slow punch as that. Heck, I bet _Kasumi_ could have done it!"

"_What?!"_

"Then again, you're so slow I bet ya couldn't have blocked it even if you _were _ready."

"Oh _really! _And what if I said I could?"

"I'm not doing anything for a while, why don't we go to the dojo and find out?"

"Why you... _you..." _All of a sudden, Akane's angered face was lit up by a smile. "...you really mean that?"

"Sure," Ranma said. "If you feel up to it, that is."

"Oh, I'll show you who's up for it!" Akane had a huge grin on her face as she hurried out of the kitchen. "I'll just go get changed, you just wait!"

Kasumi, who had listened to the whole thing, walked up to Ranma. "Thank you, Ranma," she said.

"Just so you know, I want a rematch later," Ranma said and winked.

Kasumi laughed. "Of course, Ranma-kun. Of course."

Akane dashed down the stairs, already in her gi. "Come one, Ranma! I'll show you who's slow!"

"Oh yeah?" Ranma replied and followed her. "We'll see about that!"

Soun looked up from the shougi-board. "What the heck was _that _all about?"

Genma just shrugged and quickly moved one of Soun's pieces while he wasn't looking. "Beats me. Your move."

Humming happily to herself, Kasumi went to take care of the dishes.

Author's note: The inspiration to this fic came while I was reading through volume one of the Ranma½ manga. On page 164, Kasumi asks Akane to return a book she borrowed from Dr Tofu. The title of the book was "Human Pressure Points."

This got me thinking. Why would _Kasumi,_ of all people, read a book on pressure points? Come to think of it, what does Kasumi do all day? Even if the household takes up a great deal of her time, it can't be the only thing she does, right? That's where the idea of Kasumi as a martial artist originated. I just hope I didn't shatter someone's world-view or something. ^^*

EDIT: It seems that many of my reviewers have had the impression that I made Kasumi a better fighter then Ranma. I assure you that this is false, and anyone who doesn't believe me should read the story again. Closely, this time.

Reviews are, as usual, very appreciated.


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